Typically, a conductive carbon nanomaterial, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon fibers, is applied to the manufacture of items in a variety of fields, including transparent electrodes, electrode materials for antistatic, electromagnetic shielding and energy storage devices, and conductive fibers. A paste type coating solution or spinning dope is required for a coating process or a fiberizing process.
Essentially useful to prepare a coating solution or a paste is a dispersant, such as a surfactant, a copolymer or an ionic liquid. In the case where a functional group is excessively introduced to the surface of a material, dispersion becomes easy but poor conductivity may result.
Hence, when a conductive carbon nanomaterial is prepared into a conductive paste while maintaining conductivity without the use of a dispersant, the preparation cost may be reduced and the preparation process may be simplified. Also, since the use of a dispersant is obviated, the carbon nanomaterial may be combined with various binders and metals or metal oxides.
However, formation of a carbon nanomaterial having a higher order structure by introducing a functional group able to form at least three multiple hydrogen bonds has not yet been reported.